Avram Grant admitted he did not intend to use Nicolas Anelka after the Frenchman's impressive Chelsea debut.

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

"Pizarro got injured, and I think he played well today, one of his best games for Chelsea. We needed Anelka on the bench and he played without training, and got used very quickly to the style of the team with many combinations, and hit the bar one time, and another the goalkeeper saved so you cannot ask more from the first performance. We didn't plan to use him because he didn't train." Avram Grant.

"It was a very evenly-balanced game. Domination of the game passed from one side to the other but that balance wasn't reflected in the scoreline. The face is we've conceded two goals from outside the area and lost the game, it's a bad result for us," Juande Ramos.

Arsenal 1-1 Birmingham City

"It was very frustrating. The crowd pushed us on, but we were punished for losing concentration on the set-piece. We thought it was going to be too easy, but we didn't create enough overall. We were not sharp enough and they defended well. It's as simple as that. Every game is important so it's hard to say which is the crucial month, but today we lost two points we shouldn't have lost." Arsene Wenger.

"We were playing against a special team and the determination of the players got us through. Arsenal can go through you like a hot knife through butter - but we had to concentrate for 90 minutes. We broke them up a few times and defended very well. They sniffed the danger and snuffed out the dangers most of the time." Alex McLeish.

Middlesbrough 1-1 Liverpool

"In this position, you cannot think about the leaders, you must think about the next game against Luton, and after the next one against Aston Villa. You can play well, you can create chances, but you need to win. You can talk and talk, but at the end of the day, you must win on the pitch. When you talk about a draw away, sometimes you think that is good, but especially when you are trying to reduce the gap and be closer, you must be disappointed." Rafa Benitez.

"Had we got the second when we hit the post, I think we would have won the game. But then you look at the guy who scored their goal and I think he cost about as much as our entire 16, and you think maybe it is not such a bad result." Gareth Southgate.

Everton 1-0 Manchester City

"It is nice to have Mikel [Arteta] back, we have missed him. Hopefully he will make a big impact between now and the end of the season. It was a great result because we were short today. Leon Osman is out and AJ [Andy Johnson] got injured in training yesterday so I have to say a big thanks to all the players." David Moyes.

I was frustrated and disappointed with the first 40 minutes. During that time I don't think we played football. We didn't even try. We invited Everton too much during the first 40 minutes to control the game and play it how they wanted to. The last five of the first half and during the second half we were okay. At least we were braver, we wanted to keep the ball and play football." Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Aston Villa 3-1 Reading

"I am a happy man - really delighted. The team showed great commitment. I thought we were stodgy to begin with, but we broke the deadlock and deserved to win the game. The second goal gave us a wee bit of breathing space and I thought we went on to win well. Ashley Young's deliveries were excellent throughout and it is great to have people who can get on the end of his crosses ... Unfortunately Olof [Mellberg] had to cry off because he was really ill before the game." Martin O'Neill.

"The first goal looked to be offside to me. They tread a thin line with taking a line beyond the defensive line and then trying to step back in. I've only seen it once on the replay, but it looked to me, from the side on view, that he didn't make it back. We can't do anything about it now, but he looked offside." Steve Coppell.

West Ham 2-1 Fulham

"We didn't start so well and Anton [Ferdinand] copped it at half-time. I wasn't happy with how he and Matthew Upson started. But they came out to put it right. We wanted to cement our position in the top half and this was a big result for us. We feel if we can give [Dean] Ashton the chances he will take them. Niemi made a fantastic save to deny him." Alan Curbishley.

"There are enough games left. It will not be easy but it won't be easy for many of the other teams around the relegation zone either. I believe we can do it. We had chances at the end and it was difficult to see a point disappear. I can't complain about the discipline, the work rate and the effort but the balance in our team is not right at the moment and we will have to work to bring those types of players in." Roy Hodgson.

Derby County 0-1 Wigan

"It was a very disappointing result. We threw in four new players today but the gamble didn't pay off, there's no doubt about it. It was very disappointing with the way we performed. It was always going to be difficult when we were down to ten men because we didn't look like scoring with 11. We had to bring the players in even though we knew that some of them hadn't played for a while." Paul Jewell.

"Today I thought we were by far the better team in the first half and we should have won the game handsomely as we have got some good players here. I don't think I ever had a substition work out like the one we had today [Antoine Sibierski scored with his first touch], but I am delighted. Sibierski has got that little bit of ability and little bit of class." Steve Bruce.

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